The focus of the State Legislature was narrowed recently as the second funnel deadline came and went, but many legislators are disappointed with some of the policy bills that didn’t make it through.

State Senator Jake Chapman, (R) District 10, says a few of the bills in particular he’s disappointed didn’t advance far enough for continued consideration include: the “fetal homicide bill,” which was held up due to personhood wording that Chapman himself included; the “e-verify” bill, which seeks to prevent employers from hiring illegal immigrants; the Medicaid work requirements bill; and either chamber’s version of the traffic camera ban. Additionally, Chapman admits he had a hand in the felon voting rights bill not passing the funnel, as he had concerns with it during discussions of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

He adds, though many of these bills appear dead at this time, there is a possibility a form of them could be added to an appropriations or ways and means bill, as those aren’t subject to the funnel. Additionally, Chapman points out that most will be brought up right away in 2020. “We are in the first year of this general assembly; the general assembly is two-years long. So those that made it out of one of the chambers is immediately eligible for consideration next year as well. So we’ll see where some of those bills go coming up next year.”

Some high-profile bills that did survive the funnel include: the animal cruelty bill, which was spurred on by the discovery of two dead dogs in the Raccoon River near Dawson; the gun rights constitutional amendment; the children’s mental health bill; and judicial nomination reform. To learn more about the current legislative session, listen to today’s Perry Fareway Let’s Talk Dallas County program on air and at RaccoonValleyRadio.com.